For those of us who are the "creative types," organization isn't at the top of our priority list. But there's no denying that the five P's are true: Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

Part of that planning entails taking care of details and providing a roadmap for all team members to follow. That's why my fellow instructors at T3 - the Technical Training Tour and I teach churches how to use a production model.

What's a production model?

If you've been to a concert, seen a Broadway-style theatrical show or ever had the privilege of watching a television show being recorded, you've seen the production model in action.

A production model simply means having a proven formula for delegating responsibility and developing an approach to producing an event. If we're all honest with ourselves, church services are mini-productions that we do every week. It's OK to say it: we do church productions.

Where's God in this?

Some feel that this de-spiritualizes the importance or reverence of corporately gathering to worship God. I disagree, since God is all about order and not chaos. He took six days with creation, when it all could have been instantaneous. God illustrates time and again that anything worth doing is worth taking the time to plan and implement well.

This also doesn't meant that when a service is planned that the Spirit can't move in an instant and change everything. He sure can, but it's so much better to scrap a complete plan than to wing it and stumble through a service.

On the same page, at the same time

One of the easiest ways for everyone to be in synch with their respective roles is to create a cue sheet. This document looks different in every church I visit, but it consistently has the same purpose: it lets everyone know what's going to happen, who's responsible for what's happening, and when it's supposed to happen.

I've never had the same cue sheet in any of the three churches where I was on staff. In fact, the cue sheet evolved and changed as the needs of our technical ministry changed, which was often. Don't feel that you've got to make a cue sheet that looks like someone else's. Consider what needs to be communicated and include those details as they fit your context.

What's in a cue sheet?

I like a cue sheet to have time markers that tell me when things are supposed to happen during a service, so I have a run time category on my cue sheet. This column represents the estimated time when things will happen. It may be a based on a clock or just give incremental updates. What's important is that your team can read it and easily follow along, so don't get stuck with my personal terminology.

In order to help you follow along with my line of thinking, I've uploaded a Microsoft spreadsheet for you to download that I've titled: Service Cue Sheet.xls.

In this template, you'll find columns for quite a few technical team positions and/or actions including:

• Comment / Action / Cue
• Pastor
• M.O.M. (Minister Of Music)
• STG. MGR. (Stage Manager)
• CD TRAX (lists the CD track numbers for music/split tracks)
• GFX1 (Graphics PC 1 - such as PowerPoint or Worship Software)
• GFX2 (Graphics PC 2 - such as PowerPoint or Worship Software)
• VCR CUE (for setting Time Cues for VHS tapes)
• DVD CUE (for setting Time Cues for DVD disks)
• VTR A CUE (VTR = Video Tape Recorder - such as a MiniDV, BetaSP or even a Digital Video Player)
• VTR B CUE (VTR = Video Tape Recorder - such as a MiniDV, BetaSP or even a Digital Video Player).

You'll notice that I color-coded each column so that the producer (the boss calling the service cues) can quickly issue commands to the appropriate people. Of course, you may need a lot less information or even totally different information, but the beauty is that you can easily modify this spreadsheet to customize it for your needs.

Who's who

It's common to assign roles and job descriptions in a production model. For example, the producer is the person ultimately responsible for the technical coordination of the service. This can be a staff or volunteer position, but it's critical that this person be as involved as possible in the planning that leads up to the service. During rehearsals, the producer takes a lot of notes on where props are placed, which microphone is used for specials, and what verbal cues will be given to signal the transition from one part of the service to the next.

Another important position is the graphics operator. This position is responsible for all PowerPoint and/or worship software content, as well as any announcement slides. Some churches use two of these positions to allow one to focus on song lyrics and another to work on notes. Yet other churches will use the second graphics operator to send preview information down to video stage monitors or a choir preview projector facing the stage from the back of the auditorium.

One often overlooked position is that of the tape op. This person is solely responsible for ensuring all VHS, DVD and other tape/disk formats are all cued and ready to go.

You'll need to think through which positions need to be included on your cue sheet. Remember, the more technology you use, the more people and coordination is involved to execute smoothly!

Anthony Coppedge provides consulting to Churches for developing and growing a Media Ministry, building teams, casting vision and even choosing the right equipment. He lives in Bedford, Texas with his wife and two daughters and can be reached at anthony@anthonycoppedge.com.